e lifted to the floor level, and the ten
kings signed the covenant, _as witnesses_.

Then every one present, save George Bullen, donned one of the badges.
In the crowding, his non-compliance was unnoticed. All the kings and
most of the princes and others, from Babylon, received massive and
costly signet rings from the hands of Apleon, himself. Each signet was
engraved with "The _covenant Sign_," as it was called.

_God calls it "The Mark of the Beast."_

The recipients of the rings, all wore them on the third finger of the
right hand, as did others of the minor personages. Many of the Jews,
in their enthusiasm, wore one of the "Signs" in the centre of the
forehead, held in position by a fine gold chain that passed round the
head, as well as one on the right hand.

When the "Covenant" badges had been donned, Apleon was hailed as the
world's deliverer, the whole Temple ringing with the plaudits of the
kings and others.

A moment, and he passed outside, and stood on the top step of the
Temple flight. Again the "Hurrahs" were raised, and caught by the
multitudes that thronged that wide marble approach to the gates of the
Temple, and caught again and again by ever more distant peoples, until
in a moment or two, from three to four million people, inside and
outside the city, were belching forth their acclaimings of a demon,
counting him almost God.

CHAPTER IX.

THE DEDICATION.

Save for the Bible record of the opening of Solomon's Temple, Cohen and
his colleague-priests, had no precedent upon which to base their order
of procedure as regarded the official opening of the Temple, and the
consequent re-commencement and re-establishment of the daily sacrifices.

Then, too, the ideas of the Jew of the period, as regarded worship,
were more or less of a hybrid character, while the modern repugnance to
blood-shedding, and all the consequent unpleasantness of the
sacrificial ceremonies, caused the Jewish leaders to construct a very
much more simple ritual than anything approaching the original Mosaic
standard.

One thing had been decided by them in council, that was, to make this
great epoch in their renationalization to synchronize with their New
Year, which would properly fall the next month, on October 2nd, to be
correct. The usual New Year's ceremony of Shophar-blowing would be
observed.

Cohen, and his fellow priests, were early at the Temple, and long
before the hour advertised on the programmes--7-30